Since the 4th Century, the Church has ended the year by praying the Te Deum, a great prayer of joy and thanksgiving. It’s only fitting that, on this New Year’s Eve, we take a moment to thank God for all He has done for us this past year, with eager anticipation of what lies ahead in 2012.
Today was the day my retreat was supposed to end. Although I had to come home early, I guess you could say that I’ve remained in retreat mode.
There has been a lot to ponder about 2011. Lots of difficult situations, but also plenty of grace-filled moments. Overall, I’m ready to move on. How about you?
I was on-line earlier today, and caught a yahoo news blurb about the young man in this video. His name was Ben Breedlove, and he died on Christmas day from a congenital heart condition. I usually don’t check the newsfeeds out, but I did on this one, and it’s pretty powerful.
As we transition from one year to the next, I think this video clip gives us a lot to think about. How is our life going? Are we content with where we are? Should we be making changes and better choices?
p.s.: you might want to turn off the sound. The soundtrack is a bit distracting.
Well, I set off on a retreat yesterday, eager to get myself together for the New Year. When I arrived, the place was locked up, and no one was around. I tried to call my friend who owns the place, but she didn’t pick up.
I eventually found an open door in one of the buildings, but the heat was off, and it was cold 🙁 I had made arrangements for a good friend to come up and talk, so I decided to settle in. We ended up having a great and important conversation, and I decided to spend the night, but early this morning, I came home. I guess this is where I’m supposed to get my plans together.
The post below is one that I wrote around this time last year. SMART goals are always a good idea worth repeating, so here it goes.
If you haven’t started already, now is the time to get working on your plans for the New Year.
One of the keys to a successful plan is to write down your plans and goals, and keep your list somewhere visible. Did you know that the vast majority of us forget all about their goals by the end of January. What a shame! I hope you’ll learn something from these simple life lessons, and maybe incorporate them into the plan you’re going to put into place next week. I hope you’ll also have a laugh 🙂
I hope you had a great Christmas 🙂 In the Church’s liturgical calendar, the Feast of St. Stephen, the first recognized Christian martyr, comes the day after Christmas.
I don’t know about you, but this has always struck me as a powerful statement. The anticipation in Advent gives way to the joy that comes with Christmas, only to give way to the realization that to be a follower of this newborn King comes with a cost.
If you want to read about St. Stephen, you’ll find his story in the Acts of the Apostles (6:1-8:1). He was known to be a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit (6:5), and his courage under persecution is powerful.
This is one of those songs that isn’t high on most people’s Christmas Carol playlist, but it’s one of my favorites. Another one of those meditative, prayerful songs, it will be the last of my Christmas posts.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb,
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
Several years ago, I was introduced to the music of Jason Upton, a Christian musician who one day happened to be doing some recording in a studio next to one being used by my good friend George. The next time George and I got together, he told me how moved he had been by meeting this young man and listening to his music.
Months later, George and I were in Washington DC for a big Christian gathering, and as we walked on the Mall with thousands of other folks, Jason came up to George to say hello, and the three of us talked for a bit. Later that day, Jason sang before about 300,000 people, and I was amazed by the power of his voice and the words of his songs. I hope you enjoy this special song he wrote to celebrate Christ’s birth.
It’s best listened to meditatively, so get yourself in a peaceful frame of mind, and let the music wash over you, a gentle reminder of what the Nativity of the Lord should mean for our lives.
Merry Christmas!
Sometimes, on night’s like these, you have to turn to the classics. No can sing this like Judy Garland. Enjoy!
Hope you’re having a great day, and all your preparations for Christmas are behind you. Now, it’s time to relax and take it all in. We adults can sometimes really complicate things. This afternoon, let’s ponder this little reminder from Linus as to what these days are all about.